After hydrocarbons are removed from the ground, the fluid stream (such as crude or natural gas) is transported from place to place using pipelines. Ultrasonic flow meters that are coupled to these pipelines may be used to assess various characteristics of the fluid stream (e.g., the amount or speed of fluid flowing in the stream). In an ultrasonic flow meter, ultrasonic signals are sent back and forth across the fluid stream to be measured and, based on various characteristics of the ultrasonic signals, a fluid flow may be determined.
Mechanisms that improve the quality of the ultrasonic signals imparted to the fluid may improve measurement accuracy. Moreover, ultrasonic flow meters may be installed in harsh environments, and thus any mechanism to reduce maintenance time and, if possible, improve performance, is desirable.